While former New Jersey governor, ménage-á-tois member and "jackass" James McGreevey's application to become an Episcopal minister was rejected last month, today's Times profiles a man that is determined to wear the collar. He's still living in his boyfriend's New Jersey mansion, and still "schmoozing" like a politician, but with recovering drug addicts at Newark's Integrity House.
Just Try To Stop Disgraced NJ Governor From Becoming A Priest!
Shocker: Bloomberg Was Totally in Bermuda During Blizzard
The NY Times has cracked the mystery regarding Mayor Bloomberg's whereabouts during the Christmas weekend blizzard. Although the Mayor has steadfastly refused to answer questions about his "private" time, the Paper of Record seems to have pretty definitive evidence about the main guy's location—and the answer will shock you about as much as the identity of Luke Skywalker's father or the gender of The Crying Game guy. In other words, sources say Bloomberg was in Bermuda, which isn't nearly as surprising as the fact that it's 2011 and we're still using The Crying Game for our rote plot twist references. But why won't Bloomberg just admit what everyone already knows?
Mayor Bloomberg Has Tired of Your Annoying Questions
Mayor Bloomberg was apparently quite brusque with reporters after an event at the Morgan Library and Museum yesterday, refusing answers and insulting anyone who dare ask him his opinion on things like the indictment of campaign aide John Haggerty. "There’s nothing else I can say about this," he snapped to one reporter. “Miss! I’m sorry that my English isn’t apparently good enough for you," he barked at another who prodded him. There was no end in sight to the cruelty, until he told one reporter, "We will take a legitimate question from you." However, the situation did not rise to disgrace-ful levels.
Reporters Don't Give Bloomberg A Disgraceful Break
Of course: Mayor Bloomberg calls a reporter a disgrace one day, then on the following days, other reporters want to ask him about it on other days! In the days since Observer and PolitickerNY reporter Azi Paybarah's question about the Bloomberg's decision to overturn term limits was rebuffed by the mayor—who called Paybarah "a disgrace"—Bloomberg has been called third worst person in the world by Keith Olbermann, was described as reaching "new heights of peevishness" by the NY Times and, today, was asked by a Thomson-Reuters reporter, "Do you think it’s disgraceful for reporters in an open society to ask questions of people in power about their actions and motives?”
Mayor Bloomberg Sorry After Disgraceful Q&A With Reporter
Some follow-up to Mayor Bloomberg's exchange with Observer (and PolitickerNY) reporter Azi Paybarah. The NY Times described that the mayor "seemed to reach new heights of peevishness, calling a reporter who posed a question he did not like 'a disgrace.'" (The question was whether the mayor, who spoke of an economic turnaround, oversold his pitch for overturning term limits.) CBS 2 reported, "Many would say the reporter's question was relevant, especially since the city's failing economy is one of the reasons Bloomberg sought an exemption from term limits." Paybarah's editor Josh Benson told the Daily News, "It was a reasonable question. We're comfortable leaving it to everyone else to judge the quality of the response." A spokewoman for City Comptroller and mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson said, "What’s disgraceful is the Mayor’s refusal to answer the tough questions. Calling people names, having staff block cameras and bullying the press aren’t going to stop people from asking the mayor to explain his term limits bait and switch." The Mayor apologized, though indirectly; according to Paybarah, Bloomberg's press secretary Stu Loeser "called to relay an apology from the mayor."
Mayor Bloomberg Avoids Question, Calls Reporter A "Disgrace"
Is the unofficial first rule of Mayor Bloomberg-Press Fight Club "Don't ask Mayor Bloomberg about term limits"? That's what it seems like when you watch this video from PolitickerNY's Azi Paybarah. Bloomberg, at a press conference touting how the city received $32 million in federal stimulus money for job training, said of the economy, "I’m reasonably optimistic that we’ve turned the corner" on the recession. So Paybarah asked if, since the economy was turning around, that meant Bloomberg oversold his pitch for overturning term limits—which the mayor didn't think was a "serious" question.
Kerik Pleads Not Guilty (Again!)
Former police commissioner Bernard Kerik pleaded not guilty to additional charges at his arraignment in federal court yesterday. The Daily News reports the new charges accuse him of "falsifying income tax records and not declaring a BMW luxury car he got as payment for consulting services." Kerik was previously indicted on 16 other charges, including conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, tax fraud and making false statements (to the Department of Homeland Security), last year. Kerik had requested his DHS-related trial be moved from Washington D.C. to White Plains, but White Plains Federal Court Judge Stephen Robinson shot that down for now. Kerik is due back in court in February.

